Valencia’s Compromís coalition says it will introduce a resolution in the Valencia regional Corts calling on Spain’s national government to desist from exportation of Spanish-made weapons whenever a “substantial risk” exists that the arms will be used to facilitate or directly commit serious violations of human rights or international humanitarian norms.

Noting that Spanish armaments exports have increased eight-fold in the past decade, a Compromís spokesperson said that the sale of Spanish-made weapons to countries around the globe and particularly in the Middle East contributes to undermining peace, stability and human rights, while fueling the ongoing refugee crisis that has dramatically impacted the Middle East and Europe.

Reports by international NGOs monitoring the armament sales worldwide have noted that a buyer of millions of euros worth of Spanish weaponry each year is Saudi Arabia, which has been a forwarding point for shipment of Spanish-made weapons to non-state actors in both Syria and Yemen, where the weapons were used in the commission of serious rights abuses.